Previously, the family had been upset with the shopping center for removing the tree where the two had died.

Amie Thompson is Basham's mother. She said the cross put up now sits next to a dumpster at Westport Village.

"To hide and put it locked behind a fence and not call and tell us anything," Thompson said. "We have to call and they say, 'Oh we were going to call.' When? After I noticed it."

Gray's sister said she noticed new sod laid down in place of the cross when she drove by earlier.

"I understand it's private property or whatever but there's crosses all around the city," Gray said. "I don't understand why they had to take this cross down."

In a statement, Westport Village said:

"We removed the memorial this morning (Friday) to grade and sod that area on Westport Village property. It was never our intention to upset the family, but we needed to remove the memorial for safe keeping while this work was going on."

The statement added that Westport Village had reached out to the family, but Thompson and Gray deny that.

"For us to place a cross and that be taken, that's sick to me," Thompson said.

The families and Westport Village officials are planning to meet to discuss how to handle the memorial moving forward.